WIL-U Rename Me? …. Maybe Not

Inspired by the idea of exploring a new meaning for the WILU acronym, most recently put forward at WILU 2005 at the University of Guelph, York University Libraries developed the idea of running a name change competition involving a high level of delegate participation at this year’s conference. We received widespread endorsement from other WILU co-chairs (2001-2008) for this idea.

The goal was to find a name that reflects our current environment in which we talk about the broad goal of information literacy rather than the narrower concept of library instruction.

WILU 2007 delegates were invited to submit entries for a new conference name, which reflected the conference goals and mission, while still using the same WILU acronym. Submissions were accepted by e-mail in advance of the conference or directly at the conference itself. Collaborative and individual entries were welcome.

A judging panel, comprising representation from the last two WILU hosts (Acadia University and the University of Guelph), the present host (York University) and next year’s host (UBC Okanagan) reviewed the substantial number of entries received.

While the panel was inspired by the creativity and ideas submitted by delegates, they soon realized that delegates had been assigned an impossible task. Using the existing acronym it proved too challenging to come up with an alternative viable conference name, which reflected the conference goals in a superior way to the current acronym. The judges favourites read more like conference tag lines or slogans, and it was felt that they didn’t sound enough like a conference name. So the judging panel decided that they couldn’t endorse any of the names selected, and informed delegates of the decision not to hold a vote on entries received at the closing plenary session.

The upside was that the judges and delegates alike were given many a chuckle by the humourous entries suggested. Here are some of them for you to enjoy:

• Workers of Information Literacy – Unite!
• Windsor is, like, Uber!
• Wanton Inebriated Librarians Undress
• We’re Information Literate, Understand?
• Wild Information Literacy Urges
• Workshop on Libido Utilization

The judging panel would like to recommend that in future years the potential for a new name and acronym might be explored, though they also acknowledge the widespread recognition the current conference acronym has.

- Sophie Bury